AWS Community Day 2024 NL brought together cloud enthusiasts, professionals, and experts from around the globe to dive deep into the AWS ecosystem. The event was a fantastic opportunity to explore innovations in cloud technology, network with industry leaders, and gain practical insights into the latest AWS services.
The day was packed with knowledge-sharing and lively discussions, from serverless architecture to AI-powered solutions. In this blog post, we’ll share some of the most exciting takeaways and sessions that inspired us during the event.
Our Experience at AWS Community Day 2024
Naturally, we couldn’t miss this opportunity! Both of us, Ziad Abdelghany and Pim Hakkert, attended AWS Community Day 2024, eager to dive deep into the latest developments and innovations in AWS services. The day began with an opening keynote from key figures in the AWS community, including:
- Martijn van Dongen – AWS Community Hero
- Danielle Gorlick – General Manager, AWS Benelux
- Kieren Wade – Senior Director of Cloud Engineering, Booking.com
- Tim Nolet – Co-Founder, Checkly
- Milou Verheij – Head of Cloud Center of Excellence, PostNL
The keynote set the tone for the event, with AI being a common thread in the speakers’ discussions. For instance, Kieren Wade highlighted how AI plays a crucial role in their business, particularly in offering tourist recommendations for accommodations — a use case within the broader scope of providing booking portals for such events.
Session Spotlights:
It was then time for us to split up and view the talks we were most interested in. Unfortunately, we could not be everywhere at once, so we had to narrow our focus on the most promising presentations.
Demystifying Serverless: A Deep Dive into AWS Lambda
Pim took notes on “Demystifying Serverless: A Deep Dive into AWS Lambda,” presented by Moukarram Kabbash, and later engaged in a thoughtful discussion. The presenter covered key Lambda components, including execution environments, how AWS communicates between the Runtime API and handler functions, and Lambda event source mapping. The talk focused on lesser-discussed aspects of creating serverless microservices with Lambda. For example, Moukarram introduced the concept of custom runtimes, demonstrating how functions can run in these environments. He showed how easy it was to set up a basic bash shell runtime and scale its usage with the power of Lambda. Additionally, he explained that Lambda supports many languages, provided a custom runtime is available, one example being a wrapper for the Rust programming language.
Advanced VPC Architectures: Saving Costs with Better Connectivity
One of the standout sessions was “Advanced VPC Architectures: Saving Costs with Better Connectivity” by Steffan Norberhuis, which emphasised the importance of optimising AWS’s Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) beyond the default setup. The talk explored how using shared VPCs and AWS Transit Gateways can reduce complexity and costs while providing greater control over network architecture. Key takeaways included best practices for enhancing security through defence in depth strategies, streamlining access with private DNS, and optimising resource connectivity. For startups seeking cost savings or large enterprises aiming for tighter security, refining VPC architecture allows for more efficient network management and better scalability.
Managing AWS Service Quotas: A Critical Perspective
One of the most eye-opening presentations we both attended was by Vadym Kazulkin, titled “Making Sense of AWS Serverless Operations: Service Quotas and How to Manage Them.” This talk addressed a common misconception that cloud hyperscalers like AWS can scale infinitely without limits. Vadym’s presentation highlighted the three types of service quotas every AWS user should be aware of:
- Automatically Scaling Quotas – Adjust themselves based on usage.
- Upgradable Quotas – This can be increased through AWS Support, such as the API Gateway throttle rate.
- Hard Limit Quotas – These cannot be adjusted, such as the burst rate limit for API Gateway.
These limits can directly impact application performance. Vadym stressed the importance of forecasting resource needs to prevent unexpected bottlenecks and architecting with limitations in mind. For example, the default API Gateway throttle rate is 10,000 requests per second, but the burst rate remains a hard limit, meaning you need careful planning to avoid service disruptions.
This session provided actionable tips for optimising AWS serverless operations and understanding the constraints of scaling in the cloud.
Other Sessions at AWS Community Day 2024
While we couldn’t attend every session, AWS Community Day 2024 offered various talks on topics like GraphQL, Terraform, Platform Teams, and load testing in the cloud. The breadth of the sessions showcased AWS’s versatility, catering to both technical deep dives and broader cloud architecture discussions.
Conclusion: A Day of Learning and Inspiration
Overall, AWS Community Day 2024 delivered valuable insights into the ever-evolving world of AWS. The event showcased a wide range of topics, from the technical intricacies of serverless architecture to the practical aspects of managing service quotas and cloud infrastructure.
The presentations and discussions inspired us to dive deeper into AWS services, and we left with actionable knowledge to apply to our work. If you’re a cloud professional or enthusiast, attending an AWS Community Day is a great opportunity to expand your skills, meet industry leaders, and explore the future of cloud computing.
